?
by Azwerp
Summary: Long, long ago... Perhaps this would have been a story that made sense.
1. Act I: Kidnapping

NOTE: These are just a bunch of random brainstormy pieces that I decided to preserve here for sentimental reasons. So...Don't expect them to make much sense to you. Intepret them as you will. You have been warned. ._.

* * *

**Act I: Kidnapping**

* * *

Willow lay curled on the metal floor where she'd been thrown. Somewhere between being choked silent, snatched up by that cyborg thing, and tossed inside this ship, Willow's kidnappers had somehow managed to put shackles on her wrists and ankles, and a gag over her mouth. Though she struggled hard to get free, every time she tried, the cuffs would tighten. Finally, she lay still, trying to save what strength she had left.

The ship itself was no bigger than an escape pod. The cyborg was driving, with Ventress in the seat next to his. Willow watched the stars fly past from what she could see out the front window, hoping that someone, _anyone_, would stop this ship and be able to help her. But then the ship lurched and the inky blackness turned white with streaks of blue, and her hopes of early rescue were dashed.

_Well... At least everyone else is alright, _she thought.

"You should be more concerned about yourself, little one," said Ventress, suddenly.

_And she can read minds too..._ Willow thought glumly. _Great. Just great…_

The Dark Jedi laughed at that, then got out of her seat and crouched beside the girl. Ventress sneered in delight when the youngling couldn't meet her gaze. "I sense fear in you." she said softly, looking the girl over. "But you have spirit for one so young, to challenge us as you did."

Willow shuddered, as the assassin pulled back her tunic and traced the lightsaber scars from their first encounter. This only earned her a chuckle from Ventress.

"It is good that you fear us," the woman said with mock kindness. She slowly stroked Willow's hair as she spoke, like one would do to a favorite pet. The girl shivered at the touch. It was anything but comforting. "But you should be honored, young one," continued Ventress. "It isn't often that Dooku requests a _live_ Jedi..." She smiled cruelly as Willow's face paled.

"Careful, Assassin," said the cyborg, glancing back at them. "We wouldn't want to frighten her _too_ badly, now would we?"

Ventress seemed to think this over for a moment. "I suppose you're right, Grievous." she said lazily, as if the General had spoiled her fun. But she gave Willow's padawan braid a sharp yank as she stood, making the girl flinch in pain.

Willow tried to breathe easy as Ventress regained her seat. But by now, she really was scared. What did this "Dooku" want with her? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. _Maybe it's better if I don't think about it..._ thought the girl. Exhaustion was finally catching up with her, and Willow was actually grateful for it. She gave in willingly, as her body went limp and peaceful oblivion swept over her.

All too soon, however, it was ended.

Willow yelped, whimpering as a painful shock brought her to a rude awakening. Ventress and Grievous were standing over her. Ventress smirked as she pushed a button on her wrist-comm, sending another jolt of electricity through Willow's body.

"I think she's awake now," the assassin said casually to Grievous, as their captive glared daggers at the two.

The cyborg chuckled darkly in agreement, as he plucked Willow off the floor, tucking her under two of his four arms.

Grievous made to take the lead, but Ventress put a hand out, stopping him. "Wait," she said, "We can't have the youngling seeing where she's going, now can we? It would ruin the surprise."

"Indeed," chuckled Grievous.

Willow struggled, as Ventress came to put the blindfold on her, but Grievous held the girl still in an iron grip. Once it was on, she could see nothing in front of her. She heard the _snap-hiss_ of a lightsaber, the hum of the blade as it moved, but couldn't see where it was. Willow didn't dare move, but shortly afterward heard another hiss as the blade was retracted.

"Good," she heard Ventress say smugly. "The blindfold works. Now we can get moving." As they walked, all that Willow could make out was the jostling she got from Grievous' stride, the subtle swoosh of their capes as they moved, and the sound of her captors' footsteps on the metal floor.

Hours seemed to crawl by for Willow, with the only change being the occasional hiss of what she guessed were doors opening and closing. Sometimes her head would droop as she dozed off, but each time Grievous would give her a hard jostle to startle her. She wouldn't be allowed to sleep this time.

Just as she thought they might never stop walking, she felt Grievous come to a halt.

"We're here," said Ventress. The next thing Willow knew was the hiss of a door opening, then suddenly she was tossed, skidding a few inches after painfully hitting the floor. As she lay there, dazed from the impact, a voice came from somewhere in front of her.

"Really now. Is that any way to treat a guest?" There was a slight pause, and then- "Hm, I take it she didn't come willingly then. The blindfold and shackles I can understand, but why has the poor child been gagged?"

The voice was male, elderly by the sound of it, but hard to describe. It was soft, with a slight gruffness, almost regal, but with an unmistakable hard edge. Willow had a sense that whoever this was, they weren't someone to be trifled with.

She was snapped out of these thoughts by Grievous' voice. "That is a very spirited youngling you wanted, Count Dooku," he said. "A good set of lungs in her as well. She screamed as a last resort to drive us away. I believe my hearing receptors may have been ruptured by the noise."

"At least you can replace yours," Ventress growled under her breath. Then she added, "We had no choice but to bind her, my Lord. She fought valiantly when we ambushed her, despite her wounded Master, Kenobi, ordering her to run."

"Interesting..." said Dooku.

Willow heard soft footsteps approaching, and then someone knelt beside her. "This looks uncomfortable for you, young one," said Dooku, his voice just above her head. Callused hands gripped her wrists, not as rough as she expected, but not gentle either. Still, she didn't protest as Dooku freed her hands and feet from the cuffs.

"There now, that's better isn't it?" He said softly, working at the knots on her blindfold and gag.

Willow made no reply, mainly because of the gag, but let herself visibly relax somewhat. _Well_, she thought dryly, _at least he's decent enough to untie me before he kills me…_

Dooku's cold laugh snapped her out of that thought. "My dear girl," he said, chuckling, "I'm not going to _kill_ you!"

But Willow heard the unspoken word in his voice: _yet._

_Okay - _she thought, this time trying to direct the thought _at_ Dooku - _Is there anybody here who CAN'T read minds?_

Dooku merely chuckled again, but made no answer.

Willow sighed in annoyance as the gag fell off. "So.. What do you want with me?" She wasn't surprised to find her voice slightly hoarse from screaming. She tried to push herself upright, but Dooku's hand on the back of her neck stalled that idea. She lay down again, and held still as he finished with the blindfold knots.

"Patience, young padawan," he said. "You will learn soon enough."

Somehow that didn't make her feel any better.

She winced slightly as the blindfold came off, but when her eyes adjusted, it was to find that the room was dimly lit. She slowly sat up and glanced around, rubbing her wrists and ankles to get the blood-flow back into them.

It was a small room, black in color from floor to ceiling, with skylights that showed the star-scape beyond, and a circular raised platform at its center. It reminded Willow of meditation chambers she'd seen back at the Jedi Temple. But this place felt anything but peaceful. She felt strangely cold here, and- well, she couldn't quit put her finger on it, but something just felt _bad_ about this place.

Grievous and Ventress stood near the only entrance she could see, and then Willow finally looked up at the one who'd had her brought here. He was an elderly man, with short gray hair and beard. They addressed him as "Count" or "Lord". Well, he certainly _looked_ like one at least, from both his clothes and the way he held himself. His stance told Willow of pride, dignity, and cunning, and he was watching her like some large bird of prey.

They stared at each other few a few moments, then Dooku addressed her. "What is your name, child?"

"Willow Ryden," she said, getting to her feet.

"And Obi-Wan Kenobi is your instructor, correct?"

"Well he _was_," Willow said irritably, "Until you kidnapped me."

Dooku scowled at her tone. "You would do well to mind you tongue, youngling, as well as your thoughts," he warned.

"You don't scare me," Willow said firmly, staring him down. Somehow, now that she saw him, he seemed slightly less intimidating then she'd expected.

"Is that so?" He asked. His tone was soft, subtle, and deathly calm. That, more than anything else, including the lightsaber she now saw on his belt, unnerved Willow. Did the room suddenly get colder?

He sneered at her. A cold, cruel smile that twisted his face, and advanced toward her. She instinctively backed away from him, but this only made him chuckle darkly.

"I think you're lying to me..." he said, "I sense much fear in you." He caught her glancing at his weapon and added, "Oh, don't worry. I don't need a lightsaber to deal with you..."

Willow tried to back away farther, but suddenly found herself unable to move! She struggled, staring with frightened eyes as Dooku came right up to her. "Let me go!" She gasped, still squirming.

"Calm yourself," said Dooku firmly. "I said I was not going to kill you." He stroked her padawan braid, adding, "But whether or not you survive has yet to be seen..."

"What- what are you?" asked Willow. By now she could feel an aura of power coming off him like heat waves. _How could I have not noticed __**that**__?!_ Her panicking brain asked.

"Come now," he said, sounding amused. "Surely your Master taught you _something_ of this nature?"

"D- Dark Jedi?" She asked.

Dooku laughed, cold and dark; it sent shivers down her spine.

"I assure you," he said menacingly, "I am no Jedi…" His voice dropped, as he whispered in her ear. "But I think you already know. You can sense my power, can't you... They may have failed to teach you _who_ I am, but I'm quite certain they told you _what_ I am..."

Willow's eyes grew even wider, as the old man pulled back and held a palmful of lightening in front of her face! Alarm bells went off in her head as one word blazed in huge neon letters across her brain: _SITH?!_

_Oh I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! I am SO dead!_ That one phrase ran circles inside her mind, even as Willow went limp. If not for Dooku's Force grip, she would've fallen already. She felt her eyes rolling back in her head, everything fading... But then she felt Dooku's hand cup her face, forcing her to look at him.

"You would do well to stay conscious, young one," he advised. "I have plans for you. And certain questions, that require answers..." His voice hardened at those last words. And Willow had a pretty good guess about how he planned to get those answers.

In a last effect, she put all of her strength behind one thought, willing it to reach the others: _Obi-Wan! Anakin! Ahsoka! Wherever you guys are- HURRY UP AND FIND ME!_

Dooku's smile widened at this. And Willow suddenly felt a cold, dark presence touch her mind.

_They won't find you here..._ Came his thought.

That's when she really _did_ faint.

Dooku chuckled coldly, releasing his grip and letting the girl collapse into his arms. He carefully picked her up, walked over to Ventress, and handed her over to the assassin, saying, "Place her in a cell. See that food and water are left for her, then inform me when she awakens."

Ventress bowed her head submissively. "At once, Master." She turned to leave, but then glanced back and asked, "But, my Lord, what are you going to do with her?"

Count Dooku smiled again, as he replied, "You will know soon enough, my disciple, because you're going to help me." Then he turned to Grievous and said, "I want you to go out, and make absolutely sure that you weren't followed here."

"Of course, Count Dooku," said Grievous. And with that, the two servants exited the room, leaving the Sith to his thoughts.


	2. Act II: Rescue

**Act II: Rescue**

* * *

"This is it," said Obi-Wan, halting them outside the small door. He turned to look at the other two, locking eyes with both of them. "Remember," he said cautiously, "We don't know what kind of condition she's in..." He couldn't bring himself to finish it.

Anakin and Ahsoka nodded in grave understanding, holding their lit sabers ready. Obi-Wan opened the door with the Force, revealing a tiny pitch-black cell beyond.

Obi-Wan carefully entered first, holding his saber out for light. A ripple through the Force caught his attention.

Ragged breath... a heartbeat...

Obi-Wan turned quickly - the light of his blue blade revealing a white face and blazing eyes. An inhuman shriek met Obi-Wan's ears as he leaped back - and a green blade seeking his heart met only air.

He was barely able to get his weapon up in time to block the wild slashes, but somehow Obi-Wan managed to parry them and back into the hallway, fully revealing his attacker.

It was Willow.

All three of them gazed in shock, as Obi-Wan managed to get his lightsaber into a blade-lock. The girl they knew was almost unrecognizable. Her clothes were tattered and torn almost to rags, in places showing burns, cuts, and bruises along her body. Her matted, dirt-smeared hair was no better, giving her a savage, feral look.

But it was Willow's face and eyes that were the most chilling. Her face was deathly pale, almost bone white, and her eyes blazed with a terrible inner fire that pierced the very soul. Raw anger, pain, and terror pulsed from her like solar flares.

* * *

Obi-Wan caught Willow as she fell, gently lowering her to the ground as he held her. Anakin stood over them as Ahsoka crouched at his other side, trying to get a better look at the injured youngling.

"What did they _do _to her?" Asked Ahsoka, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Something terrible..." replied Anakin softly. It was all he could do to keep his anger hidden, even as his hands clenched into fists. Count Dooku would pay for this. No one deserved that kind of treatment, especially not a youngling! Especially not Willow…

Obi-Wan shot his friend a warning glance, then looked back at the girl in his arms. Now that Willow's anger was gone, he was even more shocked by how weak she was. It seemed that nothing but her rage and fear had enabled her to attack them like that. But now her face was ashen with pain, and even now, they could feel her young life slipping away…

Obi-Wan placed a hand on Willow's forehead, channeling the Force through her. All Jedi were trained in basic healing, but he feared that the full extent of her injuries were beyond their skill. Anakin and Ahsoka also laid hands on her, trying to help as best they could.

Willow moaned weakly, then slowly opened her eyes. She blinked, trying to focus on their faces. "Is that- really you?" Her voice was rasping as she tried to draw breath.

"Yes," said Obi-Wan gently, "We've come to get you out of here."

She slowly reached out, feeling their hands and wrists with her own, feeling for the pulsing heartbeats, as if to reassure herself that they were actually there. She felt them touch her mind as well, with thoughts of peace and calm. Her eyes filled with tears, and she buried her face against Obi-Wan's chest, her body racked by sobs and trembling.

Finally, she calmed down, but didn't move from where she rested. "Cold..." she said weakly. "I wanna go home..."

"It'll be alright Willow," said Obi-Wan kindly.

"Yeah," added Ahsoka. "We'll get you away from these dirtbags."

But even that mention of them made the girl flinch as if she'd been struck.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly.

She forced her eyes open, looking straight up into his face. "He knows..." Willow choked. "He knows- I tried... But I couldn't stop him-" suddenly her head dropped again, as she passed out.

"We need to get her back to the Temple at once. To the Healers," said Obi-Wan briskly. He carefully stood up, cradling Willow against his chest so as not to jostle her too badly.


	3. Act III: Recovery

**Act III: Recovery**

* * *

Feeling slowly returned to Willow as she came to. She didn't remember losing consciousness, but it must've been just after that bald-headed harpy - Ventress - or whatever her name was, had grabbed her.

Her first thought was: _Am I dead?_

This was because she actually felt "weightless", as if she were floating... Willow opened her eyes a crack, and then they snapped open in shock. She was underwater! Panic began to set in, and she looked wildly around for a whole minute, before realizing that she wasn't drowning.

Suddenly, a strange feeling of calm washed over her. It certainly didn't come from herself, but feelings of peace and tranquility entered Willow's mind. It unnerved her slightly, but she didn't fight it.

Letting herself be calmed by this, she took a few moments to examine her situation. She soon found that she was still breathing because of a mask fixed to her face, with an air tube leading above her head. There was a ceiling above her, floor underneath, and a clear wall all the way around. She was in some sort of tank.

The "water" was a strange greenish-blue. But then she noticed someone was watching her from outside the tank. That was when she noticed her clothes were missing…

But looking down, she found herself at least still "decent". There was covering around her chest and hips, what looked like basically a two-piece bath-suit. Then she noticed the wound in her side- or rather, where the wound _had_ been. All that remained were newly-healed scars.

She looked up at her visitor again, only to jerk back in surprise. It was Anakin! The last person she expected to see!

He smiled at her reaction, his hand pressed flat against the round wall. A feeling of amusement touched Hwin's mind, again, not her own. She stared at Anakin, confused. Those feelings of safety and peace... Did he put those in her head?

Anakin gave a slight nod of his head, as if he'd read her thoughts, which, Willow recalled, he probably had.

She looked closer at him. His face showed a mix of emotions she couldn't quite read... There was amusement there, but also relief. Had he actually been worried about her? But there was something else as well... Regret?

_Rest now._ Came the thought.

Willow felt her eyelids grow heavy, but she still had questions...

_Sleep... Rest... _Came the thought again, as Anakin slowly waved his hand before her eyes.

Sleep... yes... that sounded wonderful... Willow let herself drift in the tank. The last thing she felt was a calm peace in her mind, and Anakin's thought.

_Heal…_

* * *

When Willow woke up again, it was to find herself in bed, under a warm, heavy blanket. She was back in the Medical Center, on board a hospital ship.

Slowly glancing around, she spotted Ahsoka lying in the bed next to hers. A large white bandage was wrapped around the Togruta's forehead, but she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Then doors hissed open, and Anakin entered the room. He gave her a small smile, which turned into a frown as Willow tried to squirm further over the covers, away from him.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, slightly annoyed. But then his voice became gentler, as he added, "I just came to check on you." But he could still sense her unease towards him. The man sighed, rubbing a hand to his forehead. It was a habit he'd quickly picked up from Obi-Wan.

He slowly moved to Willow's bedside and sat down, careful to avoid her legs and feet. "Look..." he said, after a few moments. "I know we got off to a bad start."

"Heh, that's kind of the understatement, don't ya think?" Willow said sarcastically.

Anakin chuckled lightly under his breath. "Yeah," he said, "That's- well that's one of way of putting it."

An awkward silence fell between them. It seem to stretch on for hours, when-

"So- " said Anakin, uncertainly, "The medical droid says your wound is healing nicely. Expects you to make a full recovery."

"Oh. Well, that's good," said Willow. She glanced over at Anakin again. "What about Ahsoka? She okay?"

Anakin smiled reassuringly. "Minor concussion," he said lightly, "But she'll be fine."

Willow sighed, and Anakin could sense her relief. But then he felt confusion from her, as she turned to him and asked, "What happened anyway? The last thing I remember... We were attacked by that- that..."

"Bald-Headed Harpy?" Finished Anakin, smirking.

"Yeah, I guess that's what she looked like," continued Willow, smiling a little. "She was trying to kill us! But then, I remember you and Master Obi-Wan fighting her off. You chased her away, but she came back. Master Obi-Wan was trying to protect me, but I got snatched up and then... Everything went black after that..."

She fixed Anakin with a searching gaze. "I didn't get away from her on my own... It was you, wasn't it? I thought I was dreaming, but you really _did_ save me."

Anakin nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. "I did save you."

"But, why?" asked Willow. She looked away from him, suddenly ashamed. "I... I thought you hated me..." she said quietly.

Anakin was taken aback by this. Was _that_ why she'd been so uneasy around him? _Well - _he thought glumly - _then again, I haven't made the best impressions with __**her**__ either…_

He gently put a hand under her chin, turning the padawan's face up to look at him. "Hey," His voice was gentle, but firm. "Listen to me. I do _not_ hate you. I never did."

"But you don't like me either…"

Anakin sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand as he gathered his thoughts. "It's not that I don't like you. I just... Well, I'm not really sure _how_ I feel about you." Then he looked her in the face and added with a half smile, "But I think I could learn to at least 'tolerate' you."

"Well, at least it's a start," said Willow, giving him a slight smile in return.

They sat in silence for a few moments, but it wasn't as awkward as before. Then Anakin spoke up again.

"By the way," he said, "That was a brave thing you did back there. It _was_ unbelievably stupid, jumping in front of a lightsaber like that. But brave."

"Thanks... I think," said Willow, uncertainly, "But how did you-?"

"Ahsoka told me," said Anakin. "And... I never did thank you for saving her, twice. So, 'thank you'."

"Well," said Willow modestly, "That's what friends are for, right? At least, that's how it is back home..." Her voice saddened as she thought back.

Feeling a firm hand clasp her shoulder, Willow looked up again, straight into Anakin's eyes. There was genuine gratitude in those eyes. His voice was soft and good-natured as he spoke. "I mean it," he said, giving her a warm smile. "Ahsoka said you mean a lot to her. She's lucky to have a friend like you."

He stood up then, giving Willow's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You should get some more rest," he said kindly, then laughed at the girl's pouting face. "Don't worry," he chuckled, "You'll be out of here soon enough. And _maybe_, if you behave, I'll teach you some more about how to use that starfighter you hijacked." Then he winked at her.

"Really?!" Asked Willow, astonished.

"I said _maybe_," replied Anakin, raising a finger in warning. "I'm still not happy you blew up my ship. Actually," he continued, more to himself then her, "What is that, the fifth time in a row that's happened?" Then he glanced at her again and added with a smirk, "But, I have to admit, I'm impressed that you two managed to blow up that base all by yourselves."

"You are?" Asked Willow.

He nodded, the added seriously, "Just…don't ever do that again." And then the smirk was back as he said, "And besides, watching those cruisers crash into each other was _pretty_ cool. You'll have to tell me sometime where you learned to shoot like that."

And then, with a last glance at Ahsoka's sleeping form, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Willow lied back, feeling slightly better about the whole thing. She was just closing her eyes, when she got the feeling of someone watching her…

Turning her head toward the source, she noticed Ahsoka facing her. But the Togruta had been sleeping on her back mere moments ago! Looking closer, Willow noticed the padawan smiling. One of her eyes was opened just the _tiniest_ bit. It quickly shut, and Ahsoka rolled onto her other side, away from Willow's glance.

The young padawan shook her head, a smile of her own spreading across her face. How long had Ahsoka been listening? _It doesn't matter_, thought Willow contently. _At least now she knows that __**something**__ good came out of all this…_

That was her last thought, before sleep crept over her again.


End file.
